Bon Jovi rocks Barcelona

Bon Jovi

As I ran past the Olympic stadium on Monday night there was all sorts of noise and activity going on inside it. I stopped to see that a stage was being set up inside the stadium. On Tuesday night I when I ran past I noticed people had begun to camp (in tents) outside the stadium and were lining up. I asked one of the campers what they were waiting for. He told me that Bon Jovi was playing the next day. My brother, crazy Mel (who I have discovered is totally normal and so nice) hatched a plan to go to the Bon Jovi concert - without tickets!! The Olympic stadium is a topless stadium so the sound carries up and out of the stadium, into the surrounding atmosphere. Around the stadium are parks, the concourse and other public areas. So, armed with wine, snacks, Tinto Verano (Sangria) and beers we met and made our way to the stadium - guided by the voice of John Bon Jovi. "Please come and sit outside the stadium and listen to me singing" he sang... Mel brought with a pretty young German friend of hers, named Caren. Caren is from Germany but has done her university studies in Spain. She speaks German, Spanish, French and English fluently. She is now in the last month of her apprenticeship, in Barcelona. Apparently all university degrees in Spain include a mandatory apprenticeship as part of the degree. She is in her last month of her apprenticeship and then she is all finished up. So next month she is off to Brazil for 7 months. The joys of having freedom, mobility, accessibility and of course youth!!

Waiting to get in

So we sat on the concourse outside the Olympic stadium, listening to Bon Jovi belt out his hits - hard and soft rock. The crowds seemed to love the concert. "Ole Ole Ole" they chanted. "Otra Otra Otra" (another) they howled when he stopped, and they wanted him to sing more. He even changed some of the words in his songs to Spanish words - a nice gesture when singing to a Spanish audience. There were masses of people at the concert. He must be popular here in Spain but then again I am sure people from other countries also jetted in (with cheap flights on Easyjet and other low cost airlines), to hear their rock legend. It was nice to hear all those old hits of the 80s and 90s. It made me quite nostalgic hearing "Living on a prayer". The song is old but it still has a powerful impact. After giving the crowds a few extra songs Bon Jovi finally stopped and then there was a mass exodus and a mad rush for the buses which waited outside the stadium, to take people back down to Plaza Espanya - where the metro and bus lines run from. I did not have to rush back down to Espanya as my flat is just on the side of the mountain. So, a brisk walk and I was home and in bed. Another exciting, once in a lifetime moment!

Lines snaking around the stadium